Which is something my partner will be stoked about, as I introduced her to the world of AFL many years ago where she would go on to turn her back on NRL and start barracking for the upstart GWS Giants who are now one of the league's most talented clubs. And given their youth, and the age at which they joined the AFL as an expansion team, jumping into esports for them really does make sense.

In 2019, the Giants will partner with the High School Esports League (HSEL), which also revealed earlier in the week they'd added New Zealand to their League of Legends esports tournament in equal partnership with Riot Games. Today's announcement, however, centres around the Giants and HSEL working to educate students and teachers about esports in New South Wales.

The Giants and HSEL have entered into a community partnership to engage student gamers across New South Wales, through HSEL’s tournament and education program platforms.

Educating, promoting and raising awareness of gaming and esports in New South Wales high schools – to teachers, students and their parents – are the key objectives of the partnership.

The Giants are the third AFL team to get involved in the HSEL, after the Adelaide Crows and the Essendon Bombers.

HSEL Commissioner Woody Wu said he was excited by the partnership.

“This is a great opportunity to help the Giants enter into the world of esports and contribute to the continued growth of this industry,” Wu said. “They will help us deliver our league and program to more students across New South Wales and allow us to help students learn important life skills through their passion.”

Along with HSEL tournaments, the Giants will be involved in teacher workshops and parent forums about gaming throughout New South Wales.

“We’ve always prided ourselves on being a club like no other and this partnership reaffirms this,” GWS Chief Operating Officer James Avery said. "Esports has a highly engaged audience across NSW and we look forward to continuing to contribute to our wider community via the HSEL.”

It's great to see elite sports teams who play at the highest level not only looking into esports, but also seeing the value in educating people around the burgeoning space for a positive view on what is now a viable sporting vocation for young people.